


Lessons in Tough Love

by Zerrat



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Zoids, Community: fangrai-forever, Established Relationship, F/F, FangRai February, Repairs, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-03 19:02:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/701613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zerrat/pseuds/Zerrat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New Century/Zero Zoids AU. In the lead-up to the Royal Cup, ace pilot Fang manages to wreck her Zoid for the third time that month. A little frustrated with Fang's cavalier attitude towards the sheer volume of work that repairing a crash-landing causes, her mechanic, Lightning, decides that this time Fang is going to help out with the repairs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lessons in Tough Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Avatar_of_Ragnarok](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avatar_of_Ragnarok/gifts).



> _Prompt #22 - Fang and Lightning in a Zoids AU. Any era (Chaotic Century, Guardian Force, New Century Zero etc) and this one is just open for the crazy ideas._
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> This one is a New Century/Zero era fic where Fang is an ace pilot, and Lightning is her mechanic. This fic does assume some knowledge of the NCZ show, but not a great deal. The basics of the show is that people fight in battles with animal-like machines, usually on teams. There is a large variety of different Zoids. 
> 
> The battles are regulated by a body called the ZBC - and the battles are considered a sport on the planet of Zi. Every four years, an event called the Royal Cup is held for every team in Class A, the winners of which earn a lot of prize money and the chance to move up a class. 
> 
> Anyway, hopefully you will enjoy! This one ended up being just a little too long for me to get finished by the end of Feb.

"Fang, this is the third time this month!" Vanille exclaimed, as she and Noel walked into Fang's hospital room. Her sister bore a wilting bouquet of flowers in one arm and their aging, hard-worn tablet in the other. Fang obediently accepted the flowers when Vanille thrust them at her face, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth as Vanille marched over - without so much as another word - to stand by the sunny window. When Noel shot Fang a warning look, she quickly smoothed the grin from her face and adopted an expression that was less likely to stir up the embers too terribly.

 _So, it's like that, then._ Fang was actually wondering when she would finally push Vanille too far on the issue. She didn't think sacrificing her health, wellbeing and Bahamut in exchange for eliminating half of the opposing team was all that _bad_ though, especially considering her track record.

Vanille turned back to Fang, her mouth pressed in a hard, stubborn line that Fang knew from experience meant trouble. 

"I know you want to go see the mechanic-"

"Hey, it is _not_ about that!" Fang cut in over Vanille, her cheeks growing warm and she was feeling just a bit indignant at the mere suggestion. Hell, if she wanted to go see Lightning Farron, then Fang could - and _did_ \- do it on her own time. She didn't need to crash-land Bahamut to steal some of her favourite mechanic's time.

"We can't afford to keep getting it fixed, though." Noel's voice was carefully diplomatic, and he shrugged when Fang raised an eyebrow at him. "What? Our funds can't take this kind of abuse for much longer, that's all I'm saying."

"That, and one of these days you will get yourself killed," Vanille reminded Fang a little primly, crossing her arms and giving Fang a pout. "We care about winning, but not at such huge risk!"

"We did win, though," Noel added, smiling just a little then as he passed the battered tablet over to Fang. "After you oh-so heroically went down with half the other team, we managed to clean up pretty good. So good, in fact, that we qualified."

 _Qualified?_ Fang wondered, glancing down at the message on the tablet screen, and then she shook her head quickly as she had to allow herself a double-take.

_Congratulations! Team Pulse has qualified for Class A…_

"This means…" Fang broke off, her voice suddenly going hoarse as the full implications of that qualification hit her like a tonne of bricks. "The Royal Cup is in one month. We've made Class A. _We're in the Royal Cup._ "

Vanille's expression finally broke into a brilliant smile, her green eyes crinkling happily as she bounced down onto Fang's hospital bed. Fang groaned and touched a hand to her throbbing head, but she couldn't help but smile back. If they'd made it to Class A – even if just by the skin of their teeth – then they'd secured a spot in the elite tournament.

That counted for _something_. It meant that Team Pulse was finally making it in the world of Zoid battles. It meant that if they _won_ , all of their money troubles and debts could be wiped clean with that prize money. The glory and the bragging rights... The _challenge_...

Before, Fang hadn't allowed herself to consider the possibility that this year, they'd be in the Royal Cup, but suddenly faced with the reality...

Fang's happiness then soured as she then recalled her trashed custom Raynos, probably sitting in pieces back at Team Pulse's tiny warehouse base, and that growing pile of debtor letters that she'd tried her best to ignore.

Fang sighed. There was really no choice. With the Royal Cup less than a month away, if they wanted _any_ chance at winning the pot, then Fang's Bahamut would need to go in for repairs. Fang just hoped that she could sweet-talk Lightning Farron into letting her get the repairs done for at a cheaper rate than normal.

###

Fang ducked in under the roller doors of the Farron Mechanics workshop, knowing that even at this late hour of the night, Lightning would still be awake and working on whatever job she was in the middle of. Most of the time, Fang found the mechanic's single-minded dedication to her job to be one of her most attractive traits - well, except for all the times Lightning lost track of time and forgot to feed herself.

If it wasn't for the fact that Lightning's sister, Serah, lived at the back of the shop with her, Fang wouldn't have been surprised if Lightning never actually ate. So, it was with that in mind, that Fang had stopped by one of the takeout joints on her way over and purchased some much-needed bribes. Surely, Lightning wouldn't say 'no' if Fang had gone to the trouble of buying her dinner. Even if the purchase had made Fang's already dire savings look even worse...

Fang found Lightning exactly where she'd guessed the woman would be - fussing over her latest job. The Zoid was some sort of customised Rev Raptor - and the woman was crouched down as she tightened some of the bolts securing the large blades set into its feet. Fang stopped outside the warm light of the workshop, leaning on the shop's wall and taking the time to admire the way the light was playing down Lightning's bare, sweaty arms before Fang cleared her throat to announce her presence. She let a smile lift the corner of her mouth as she noticed Lightning twitch just a little, and raised a hand in greeting as that sharp blue gaze turned her way.

By all things holy on Zi, the woman was attractive.

Lightning scoffed when she saw Fang, blowing her bangs out of her eyes before she simply returned to her work. Fang sighed quietly. Even if her _thing_ with Lightning wasn't really a formal arrangement, it looked as if Vanille wasn't the only one who was stroppy with Fang for her actions in the last battle. Well, there was little to be done for it now.

Fang walked forwards and into the light, dumping the plastic bag containing food on one of the workbenches that Lightning wasn't currently using. She leaned back against the bench then, watching Lightning work out the corner of her eye, and simply waiting for Lightning to decide to address her.

Fortunately, Fang didn't need to wait long. It certainly helped that she'd opened one of the food containers and let the smell of cheap, stir-fried noodles fill the workshop. She wasn't above a few cheap shots.

"That was one hell of a crash yesterday," Lightning commented, her voice cool as she finally stepped back from the Rev Raptor. She glanced in Fang's direction, shaking her head once before tucking her spanner into one of the back pockets of her overalls.

Fang knew better than to rise to that comment, so she simply nodded to the opened container of food sitting on the workbench. "Brought you food. I assume you've not eaten, as is your usual."

She didn't wait for Lightning to scoff at the mild rebuke, and she grabbed the unopened box from its plastic bag. The noodles had been cooked in some sauce that was far too sweet for Fang's normal tastes, but that that was the risk with that shop sometimes, so she began to eat regardless.

"You're here on business, Fang," Lightning said as she finished her first mouthful. "Cut to the chase already."

"So impatient. Maybe I just wanted to spend a little time with my favourite mechanic in all of Zi." Fang's smile faded then, and she stuck her fork into the noodles as she set the container back onto the workbench. "Yeah. It's business. But I figured that I might as well take the time to enjoy your company, too."

"And to soften me up." Lightning's tone was even and distant, and Fang made a face.

"You make it sound so calculating." Fang looked over to the woman, hoping that her growing frown was making it obvious of what she thought of Lightning's cool dismissal of her offering. It was true, in a way, but that didn't change the nature of the relationship between them.

Fang enjoyed Lightning's company - she'd thought she'd made that clear, especially given their last encounter had ended so well.

There was something about the set to Lightning's jaw that told Fang that kissing her and then having her across the workbench again would not actually achieve the desired result, so Fang kept her hands to herself and began to eat again.

"Well..." Fang said, after a few minutes of quiet eating. "Crashing of Zoids aside, the team got an email. We made it into Class A. And wouldn't you know what's right around the corner..."

"The Royal Cup," Lightning supplied softly, and she tilted her head back to look at the darkened roof of the workshop. "So you need your Raynos fixed, and you want it done _fast_."

"Fixing Bahamut shouldn't be too much for the very talented Lightning Farron, should it?" Fang shot her a sidelong smile. "That is, provided you can do it."

"I saw how your Raynos looked after the crash. I found out that you were in _hospital_ , Fang. I found out from _Snow."_ There was an undercurrent of taut frustration in Lightning's voice, and Fang wondered what it was that Lightning was expecting.

Huh. Maybe Fang should have called while in the hospital, and let Lightning know that she was okay after all. Abruptly, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, but was a bit late to do anything about her thoughtlessness now.

"Just got a little knocked about the head," Fang said with a false cheerfulness, gesturing vaguely to the light bandaging still left around her forehead. "I'm fine. It's Bahamut and the Royal Cup that _I'm_ worried about."

Lightning's eyes were drawn to the bandages that had, to be fair, been somewhat hidden beneath Fang's wild hair, and her expression darkened further. Fang let her hand drop to her side, her feeling of guilt tripling. 

From where she stood at Fang's side, Lightning made an irritated sound in the back of her throat. "With all your other major debts, how exactly were you planning on paying me for this? Those are major repairs we're looking at, not basic maintenance."

"Date?" Fang ventured jokingly, still trying to lighten the mood to make it up to Lightning.

"Don't be absurd, that kind of damage is worth at least five dates, and you know it." Lightning's blue eyes cut across to Fang again, suddenly very calculating. "Since you aren't going to pay for it, why should I help?"

"Because of the goodness in your heart that I swear is in there somewhere?"

Lightning simply raised an eyebrow at the comment, though, crossing her bare arms in front of her chest and looking Fang up and down critically. Clearly, Lightning had something in mind, and Fang very much doubted that she'd like it.

"I have an idea." Lightning turned on her heel, facing away from Fang as she slowly walked the length of the workshop. "I will do this job at a reduced rate, but only under one condition. Since you keep breaking your Zoid, you might as well help me fix it. Gaining major injuries and wrecking your Zoid doesn't seem to be able to knock "be more careful" into your head - maybe a bit of hard work will."

Lightning's voice was cool and clipped as she spoke, and entirely too serious about her little idea than Fang liked. Helping fix Bahamut? Fang wouldn't even know where to begin. She knew how to calibrate and do some very minor, emergency repairs, but a job like _that_? That was hardly fair, and from Lightning's small smirk, the cunning woman knew exactly what she was asking.

It was that smirk, more than anything else, that put Fang's back up enough that she forced a smile to her face.

"You want me hanging around the shop like a bad smell all week? The joke's on you, Lightning." Fang tilted her head, shrugging very casually as she watched Lightning's eyes narrow. "You're on."

Internally, though, Fang heaved a sigh. Additional time with Lightning or not, if she was going to be involved in repairs for Bahamut, it was going to be a long week. She'd just have to leave a lot of the Royal Cup registration details to Vanille and Noel, the very idea of which made her twitch. She'd miss so many of the preparations...

She'd do it, though. Anything for the chance to compete - and if she was entirely honest with herself - anything for Lightning.

###

At the crack of dawn the next day, Fang arrived at Farron Mechanics with Bahamut stowed in the back of her team's beat-up truck. Vanille and Noel had done their best to salvage what parts they could from the sandy battlefield, but even so, her Raynos was looking _terrible_. Most of the left wing was gone, there were scorch marks and bullet holes from her dogfight with the enemy Reddler and half the armour over Bahamut's chest had been torn clean off.

The worst damage had been done to the cockpit, with the blue glass fractured and broken beyond repair. As Fang had loaded the Zoid into the truck with the help of Noel at some ungodly hour the night before, it had been the first time she had seen the damage with her own eyes. A little stunned, Fang had whistled softly to herself. She'd been damn lucky that she'd ejected when she had, even if her landing had been dodgy as all hell.

No wonder Vanille had been worried, and Lightning was still angry. Fang still wanted to get her hands on a recording of that fight, though, just to relive the sweet super-sonic move she'd pulled off to wreck the enemy Reddler and Zaber Fang in one hit.

Fang wiped the self-satisfied look from her face as Lightning emerged from the workshop, a damp towel slung around her shoulders and a scowl on her face. Carefully chastised or not, Fang still allowed herself to admire every muscle and curve visible as Lightning approached. Had the woman even slept, though? Sometimes Fang had to envy Lightning's ability to function on a couple of hours rest and a mug of coffee...

"You ready?' Lightning said as she stopped by the side of the Team Pulse truck, and after hitting the button to open the back of the truck, Fang swung herself out of the drivers seat with a deep sigh.

"You know it." Fang landed by Lightning's side, and she watched Lightning rest her hand - clean of oil and grime for now - against the scorched and torn armour of Bahamut's jaw. Lightning's expression looked pained for a moment as her blue eyes swept the Zoid, before Fang heard her snort softly to herself.

"Get him inside, and we'll start the analysis." Lightning turned on her heel, moving back to the workshop a few steps before she slowed again. Without looking over her shoulder, Lightning added, "I hope you didn't have any other plans for the day."

Fang didn't let herself rise to the obvious bait, but as she pulled herself back into the musty old truck cabin, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. So much for meeting Vanille and Noel to talk tactics after she was finished for the day...

###

When Bahamut and all the stray pieces that Team Pulse had been able to salvage were safely unloaded and in the workshop, Lightning had dived into her work with a stunning speed. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Fang tilted her head and smiled a little as she watched Lightning's lithe, deceptively powerful form duck under one of Bahamut's smashed up wings.

Of course, Fang wasn't _staring_ , and she certainly wasn't remembering how that lean body felt, bare, sweating and pressed up against her-

"Fang! Go and get me the scanning equipment and my computer," Lightning called out from somewhere over the other side of Bahamut's body, her voice echoing in the small workshop. "Don't let me catch you standing around when I look up!"

Shaking her head, Fang obediently went to grab the items that Lightning had oh-so-nicely requested, and as she wandered back further into the workshop, she heard the scuff of slippers on the rough concrete floor. Fang's face broke into a smile as she saw Serah emerge from the workshop office, still in her pyjamas and draped in a blanket. Serah blinked at her blearily, and then looked over to where her sister was busy cursing over the state of Bahamut.

" _Claire_ ," Serah groaned out, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's five in the morning!"

"You can blame Fang for this," Lightning called out, her tone a little snappy, and as Serah shot Fang a long-suffering look, Fang shrugged easily.

"Bahamut took a beating in my last battle, and we need to get him up to speed before the Royal Cup rolls around," Fang explained, but Serah must not have really processed it because she simply nodded groggily.

"Whatever you two, I'm going back to bed." Serah yawned widely, and then trudged away.

"Fang!" Lightning's sharp tone cut through the air like a whip, and Fang shook her head with a small smile. "The scanner. Or did you forget?"

"Not a chance, sweetheart," Fang said, ensuring she layered on the saccharine in her tone, if only because she knew it would make Lightning's eyelid twitch.

###

They started, as Lightning had told her they would, from the very beginning.

There was not a great deal that Fang could do as Lightning took Bahamut apart to fully inspect the damage that Fang had caused in her crash-landing. For the most part, Fang acted as the packhorse and simply fetched what tools Lightning requested, all the while watching as Lightning move around her Zoid.

It was actually incredible to watch, as Lightning slowly examined every bolt and cable underneath the deep, purple and grey Raynos armour, and Fang had to work a lot harder than normal to keep Lightning from catching her staring.

This - the diagnostics, the careful examination of every inch of machinery both visible and not - was what Lightning did, every single time Fang got Bahamut a little knocked around during battle.

As Fang watched Lightning slide her fingers over the wide cables and gears running through Bahamut's haunches, she had to wonder. Where had Lightning _learned_ all of this? Had someone taught her? A family business? Was it all intuition, some innate brilliance with machinery? Fang didn't really know, and on closer consideration, that _bothered_ her. Fang knew that Farron Mechanics was one of the best kept secrets on Zi, and that it had been by accident alone that she'd even given this tiny workshop a chance, but Lightning was... well, she was incredible.

Fang's eyes strayed down, running over Lightning's bowed back and down to admire the curve of Lightning's hips as she worked. The hair at the nape of Lightning's neck had become a little damp with sweat, Fang noted, and it was nearly impossible to resist the urge to reach out and tangle her fingers in it. With the way the woman worked, though, Fang supposed she now knew how Lightning kept such a lean physique.

There was so much _damage_ done to Bahamut – Fang was a little in awe of the sheer volume of equipment and parts that now needed either repairs or full-on replacements. Before today, Fang had been somewhat negligently oblivious of just how much work Lightning had to put in when she crash-landed Bahamut. Even if the damage on one part of armour seemed superficial, when Lightning would unscrew the bolts, she'd show Fang all of the hairline fractures in the gears beneath.

She shook her head as Lightning looked up and over her shoulder at Fang, gesturing for the wrench clasped loosely in Fang's hands. Fang passed it to her without a word. As she looked up at Bahamut, Fang couldn't help it – she started to feel incredibly guilty, both at what she had so carelessly done to Bahamut, and the resulting work that Lightning was providing at a reduced rate.

###

It took them a full day just to strip back all the wrecked armour and take stock of everything that needed repairs. Lightning had been quiet throughout, simply getting the job done as quickly as possible, and a childish part of Fang ached at the conspicuous lack of back-and-forth between them. As Lightning had vanished into the workshop's tiny office at the end of the afternoon, muttering something vague about putting in the order for parts, Fang had remained at Bahamut's side.

Fang's feeling of guilt had only gotten stronger as the day had worn on. She tilted her head, looking up, and she let a soft sigh escape her lips as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Bahamut looked so small and frail without his armour and weaponry, and his stripped-back and broken frame was stark under the workshop's fluorescent lights.

"Hey, mate. I really did a number on you this time." Fang approached Bahamut's side quietly, laying her oil-stained hand against the exposed machinery of Bahamut's haunch. "I'm thinking that a 'sorry' is in order."

The Raynos was silent – as expected – but the twisting knife of worry that had been buried in Fang's gut seemed to ease. She snorted softly to herself, patting the Zoid's haunch again and stepping back.

"Right," Lightning said from behind her, and Fang refused to admit that she jumped in surprise. "The order for your Raynos' parts is in and now it's just a matter of waiting. You're free to go for the day, but I'll still be expecting you tomorrow."

"Even if the parts are on order?" Fang ventured, frowning. If the parts weren't in, what were they going to do? Her mind immediately went to the gutter, in spite of how deliberately professional Lightning had been for the entirety of the day.

"Especially then. We still have major repairs to conduct, or did you forget that?" Lightning reached over and squeezed Fang's shoulder quickly, and before Fang could even twitch a muscle to react, Lightning was already walking back to her office.

Fang watched her go, feeling that cold sense of worry take root in her stomach again like some sort of stubborn weed. Was Lightning still angry about the way Fang had handled the hospital visit? It could be it, Fang decided. While she'd crashed Bahamut often enough since they'd started this... _thing_ of theirs, never had Fang ended up in the hospital with her injuries.

Fang looked back to Bahamut, letting another sigh pass softly from between her lips. She supposed the best thing to do in this case was to simply wait out the storm. Fishing her pack from one of the cleared workbenches, Fang walked towards where she had parked the truck outside the workshop, and tried not to let Lightning's distance bother her too much on the drive back to the base.

###

It took them most of the next week to complete the repairs of the major components that Lightning had been able to salvage, and as her fifth day at Farron Mechanics came to a close, Fang was starting to wonder if weathering the storm was going to work.

It certainly didn't _feel_ like keeping her head down was working, and the sudden gulf of emotional distance between herself and Lightning seemed as vast as it had, that first night after Fang had been released from hospital. Lightning was harsh and demanding, and Fang was fine with that - but it was the coldness that bothered her the most. 

It was enough for Fang to start entertaining the very real possibility that Lightning was through with whatever it was that they had going. Fang had never really bothered to define their dynamic before - it was simple and it felt _good_ \- but the idea of losing Lightning, losing her positive regard... Fang wasn't sure if she could really cope with that now.

Even considering that outcome made her feel trapped and desperate, made her want to simply hold onto Lightning until the anger had wilted away.

It was never that simple, though. 

Fang had never been good with losing people, to put the matter mildly, so she figured had to do something - _anything_ \- to make things right between herself and Lightning again. Fang couldn't bear to lose her over a stupid crash. 

So it was on the fifth day that Fang decided to take matters into her own hands.

###

Fang arrived at Farron Mechanics early on the sixth morning - much earlier than she had in all the mornings prior. Lightning had always been waiting for her out the front of the workshop, her arms crossed and a look of disapproval as Fang had rocked up, bleary-eyed, a good hour past the meeting time of 'dawn'. This time, the sun had yet to rise over the horizon, and Fang wasn't half asleep. If anything, she felt wired, focused, _ready._

As the lights of the workshop slowly came on, Fang grabbed her backpack and bribes from the passenger seat of the car she'd commandeered from Noel. With both items balanced precariously in each of her hands, Fang used her hip and leg to slam the car door shut. 

Fang settled her shoulders as she began to walk quickly for the workshop's roller door. She could do this, Fang told herself. She just had to stick to the plan. 

When Lightning finally opened the roller doors a couple of minutes later, Fang was waiting for her outside. She leaned against the old, flakey brick wall just off to the side, waving to catch Lightning's attention before the woman could get it into her head that Fang was late. Fang did rather enjoy the look of conflicted surprise on Lightning's face, and taking the care to press her advantage, she slowly pushed herself up and off of the wall. 

"'Morning, Light." Fang let a small smile play on her lips as she met Lightning's blue eyes, catching them and holding them for once as she held out the takeaway coffee she'd picked up on her way over. The way she brushed the tips of Lightning's fingers as Lightning accepted the offering, just hard enough for Lightning to register deliberateness of the touch, was no accident either. 

Lightning's eyes narrowed at Fang as she sipped at the coffee, as if she expected some sort of trick and was searching for the give away. Apparently satisfied with whatever she read in Fang's expression, she nodded to herself and allowed Fang to follow her inside. Fang paused for half a step as she spied a huge shipping container, placed just inside the workshop. 

_Well, that's certainly new,_ Fang thought, before shaking her head and lengthening her stride to catch up to Lightning. 

They both leaned against the workbench nearest to where Bahamut was resting, drinking in silence. Fang shot Lightning a sidelong look as she sipped, admiring the fall of shower-damp hair into Lightning's eyes. If she closed her eyes and focused, Fang could smell the soap and shampoo that Lightning had used. The scent stirred up far too many vivid memories of defiantly slipping in the shower behind Lightning after one of their nights together, of needing one last taste before darting out the back door so that Serah wouldn't catch them. They were all fond memories - but not exactly helpful to her current situation. 

"So, the parts over there - they arrived last night?" Fang asked, gesturing vaguely towards the shipping container that she'd spied on her way in. From this angle, she could see that it was filled with some huge amount of boxes. Her muscles wanted to groan in protest, given the unusual work they'd been subjected to for five days already, but she ruthlessly crushed the urge to complain. "You must be happy. That's a day and a half ahead of what you figured."

Lightning frowned across at her. She looked a little surprised that Fang had noticed the schedule at all, let alone noticed an actual change. 

"Yeah," Lightning said slowly, tapping her fingers on the plastic lid of her drink. "They came and dropped it off last night, not long after you went home. This is good."

Fang smiled, looking across at her stripped-back Zoid. "Good. I'm looking forwards to getting Bahamut back in top shape, and the faster we get the parts in, the quicker that's gonna happen."

Lightning looked down thoughtfully at her now-finished coffee, before crumpling the cardboard in her hands and tossing it into one of the bins lined up against the workshop's wall. Fang finished the rest of her own drink in a single gulp, because getting left behind in the dust was not in her plans for the day. She needed to keep up with Lightning this time, even if she didn't have the same know-how as the mechanic. 

She'd be a damn good assistant this time, but more, she'd remind Lightning of just why they'd become so close so quickly. It was an odd sort of battle, but Fang was more than ready to start taking it seriously.

###

The work that day was set at a grueling pace, and as Fang struggled to push the enormous weight of yet another load of boxes on the trolley she'd commandeered, she had to wonder if Lightning was doing it to test her resolve. She shook her head, calling herself seven kinds of idiot - Lightning had no idea of Fang's plan, so why would she test it?

Lightning seemed _intent_ on getting Bahamut up and running by the close of shop that night though, and it was tougher work than Fang had been dealing with in all of the week prior. She was dusty, sweaty, there were odd track marks of grease down her arms and she'd long since tied her jacket around her waist as Lightning had flitted around the Zoid. 

Lightning's gaze had been measuring every time Fang had looked over at her, while Fang unloaded and brought over a seemingly endless procession of boxed up components and fittings. Lightning's tone was carefully neutral as she directed Fang in where to place all of the fittings on the floor about Bahamut. 

Fang followed her orders without a word of complaint, but instead of remaining meekly quiet in the face of Lightning's lingering anger, she began to to fill the noisy workshop with conversation. 

It had been mostly one-sided at first, as Fang told Lightning all about how Vanille and Noel were handling the Royal Cup registrations and preparations without her. They'd even managed to defer Fang's qualification tests until the next week, when Bahamut was operating smoothly again - that had earned Fang an irritable scoff from where Lightning was examining the underside of one of Bahamut's new wings. Realising that implying that she'd rather be elsewhere - even if 'elsewhere' was living the Royal Cup dream with her team - was not going to do Fang any favours, she changed tactics. 

She began to ask questions about the repair process, about Lightning's future repair projects and how Farron Mechanics was actually going. She asked if Lightning thought Bahamut would be fully fixed, or if there would be lingering damage to the framework of the Zoid. She drew the conversation out of Lightning, line by painful line, as she worked her arse off on the floor. 

When Serah wandered over from the office to watch Lightning work and to ask Lightning's opinion on some upcoming projects - projects that Lightning had delayed in order to deal with Bahamut, Fang would later realise with both delight and guilt - Fang talked to her, too. She asked about how Serah's idiot boyfriend Snow was going, and managed to get herself playfully swatted when she got too nosy about the rival Team NORA's plans for the Royal Cup. 

After that, Lightning actually managed to grow her sense of humour back, and her sharp comments edged more toward the banter that Fang was more comfortable with. Now more sure that her plan was working, Fang allowed her gaze to linger when she looked over to the mechanic working so hard on fitting the new armour back on the Raynos, admiring the way sweat had gathered on Lightning's bare arms and letting Lightning catch her looking on occasion. 

As Lightning flushed and looked quickly up at Bahamut's wings when Fang allowed her notice another blatant stare, Fang let her smile become a little crooked as she leaned against the trolley for a moment. 

_Yeah,_ Fang thought, looking over her shoulder as she unloaded more parts onto the ground. _It's working, alright._

###

There was only a bit left to do that afternoon, but when Lightning heaved a deep sigh and jumped off from where she'd been bolting the armour onto Bahamut's back, Fang knew that the woman had called it quits early. 

"That's enough for today," Lightning said as she straightened from where she'd landed, wiping her sweaty brow with the cleaner back of her grease-stained hands but still managing to get a bit of it on her face anyway. 

Fang dropped her last box next to Bahamut with a grateful groan, massaging her sore wrists in a futile attempt to get the blood flowing through them again. She felt as though she'd been trampled by a hundred Rev Raptors, and she would _not_ be happy until she had a good long soak in the bathtub back at the base. Fang could feel Lightning's eyes on her as she leaned back and rolled her shoulders, listening to the joints in her arms and neck pop and shift in protest. 

"How much is left to do?" Fang asked, still massaging her left hand as she sat herself down on a workbench. "Can't we just pull an all-nighter and get it out of the way?"

"Fang, I had to tell you where to put the last box _three times_ ," Lightning said, crossing her arms against her chest as she leaned on the workbench at Fang's side. "You've worked really hard today. We can get the rest of the armour and glass for the cockpit on tomorrow, then start the recalibrations..."

Lightning rested her hand on Fang's shoulder. Fang let the silence stretch on, wondering where Lightning was going with it. 

"You've done a really good job," Lightning finally finished, and her voice was _warm_. 

Fang shot her a smile - one that she really felt - and looked back at Bahamut. "Well, it's all you. This is your show, after all. Without you, I'd be nothing."

Lightning's hand squeezed Fang's shoulder, before slowly withdrawing. Fang could still feel Lightning's eyes on her, and even after all the times they'd been together, it made the butterflies flutter in her stomach and made her throat feel impossibly dry.

In the past, this would be where Fang would meet Lightning's eyes, allow herself to get dragged in for a heated kiss as she pushed Lightning hard up against the wall, but... it didn't feel right. Not tonight, not when she'd only just gotten under Lightning's skin again, and not when Fang desperately wanted a damn _shower_ and a good night's sleep. 

Besides. It wouldn't hurt to string Lightning out a little. 

As Fang left the workshop, leaving Lightning's warm eyes and partial smiles behind her, she knew that what she'd said was true. Without Lightning to pick Fang up when she crashed, she really _would_ be nothing. 

This past week, more than anything, had really driven that home. Fang still wasn't quite sure how to define what she had with Lightning, but she did know that she wanted more.

###

Fang was seated in Bahamut's cockpit for the first time in what felt like forever, and she couldn't be more glad to be back. It was good to get her hands on his controls, to feel the machinery responding under her touch as she ran through the list of checks that Lightning had asked her to complete before testing some more on her own. The week apart from him had been harsh, but she certainly felt like she'd learned a lot during her enforced 'apprenticeship' under Lightning's eye. 

Which, Fang supposed, had been the point all along. She ran an affectionate hand over the nearest of Bahamut's control panels, a reluctant smile curling the corners of her mouth upwards. 

"You look like a kid with a new toy," Lightning commented dryly from where she balanced on the edge of the cockpit. The sight of her crouched on the lip of the cockpit - lean, relaxed and _smiling_ \- was enough to cause Fang's breath to catch in her throat, and she had to crush the sudden spike of desire in her stomach as her eyes flickered up and down Lightning's body. Lightning didn't seem to notice the effect she was having on Fang's ability to soldier onward with her tests, and she jerked a thumb towards the ground. "I'm gonna attach the hatch now. You may need to move."

"I may, but I'm not going to." Fang tightened her grasp on the dual controls, shrugging expressively at Lightning when the woman had the nerve to roll her eyes. "Hey, it's been a week since Bahamut and I spent any quality time together - we need to _bond_."

Fang smiled as Lightning snorted at that comment, but the woman didn't press the issue as she jumped off the edge of the cockpit and walked over to the small, crane-like machine that Fang had loaded the glass cockpit hatch onto the day before. As Lightning started the machine up, Fang had to shake her head. It was nice to have 'her' Lightning back - the one who wasn't quite so scarily angry. Just having the woman smile and respond to Fang's attempts at banter was enough to make her grin like a fool, and the way Lightning kept _looking_ at her with all that heat... 

It made her shiver in all the right ways, and Fang almost regretted not taking Lightning up on her silent offer the night before.

Fang remained seated in the cockpit, running through what calibrations and alterations she could while Bahamut was still stationary, and she deliberately ignored the irritating beep of machinery as Lightning maneuvered the crane into position. 

She wasn't even in the way, Fang realised with a scowl as she sized up the cockpit and the reinforced glass hatch now hanging above her head. Stubbornly, Fang continued to conduct her tests, but only when the glass hatch finally clicked down over the top of her without knocking her in the head did she allow herself to relax.

Resting her chin on the open palm of her hand, Fang watched Lightning work at attaching the cockpit hatch from the outside. All of Bahamut's armour had been replaced, and every damaged circuit or gear had been repaired. While Lightning had some lasting, vague concerns regarding the integrity of Bahamut's lightweight frame after having endured so many crashes recently, Fang had faith that her Raynos was going to be all okay. 

The cockpit hatch was, essentially, the last major thing that they had to complete. It meant freedom - and it meant that Fang's time with Lightning was coming to an end soon.

After perhaps another ten minutes of running through Bahamut's rebooted systems, Fang arched an eyebrow as the hatch manually opened up a fraction. Lightning swung her legs over the edge, sliding through the tiny gap and - well, getting in Fang's way. 

"Light, I was kind of working here -" Fang started, but Lightning withdrew her electric wrench from the back pocket of her old, oil-stained jeans.

"I told you to move, Fang, and you didn't," Lightning told her evenly, turning to examine the internal mechanisms and hinges that allowed the cockpit to seal shut and open on command. "You can wait. I have to get this hatch online, or we are both going to be stuck in here."

Fang crossed her arms against her chest, grumbling quietly to herself as she had no other choice _but_ to watch Lightning's arse as she moved about the now-cramped cockpit. She could see sweat curling in the damp hair at the nape of Lightning's neck, could smell the oil and that same shampoo that was so intoxicating. Fang's eyes travelled over the lean muscles in Lightning's arms and back, watching them work under that impossibly soft skin as she adjusted the bolts and circuitry that would let the hatch operate normally. Fang swallowed, abruptly blindsided by the stab of sheer lust shooting from somewhere inside her chest and down her spine. 

Fang couldn't tear her eyes away from Lightning, and her breath felt hot and sticky in her throat as she allowed herself to remember just how much she _wanted_ Lightning. Fang remembered the sweetness of the woman's kiss, the feel of the woman's legs and body trembling under Fang's touch. Fang bit her lower lip, eyeing Lightning's back and shoulders.

If the hatch was done, then... Maybe Fang could allow herself to give in and take exactly what she wanted.

When Lightning rocked back on her heels, her shoulders finally relaxing in a way that told Fang that she was finally done, Fang reached forward, and grasping the hem of Lightning's tshirt, she pulled Lightning back hard against her. She heard Lightning make a tiny noise of surprise as Fang settled her legs on either side of Lightning's hips and thighs. Fang moved quickly, her arms wrapping securely around Lightning's waist and chest, and as Fang kissed the exposed skin between Lightning's neck and shoulder, that surprised sound quickly became something very different. Smirking against Lightning's skin, Fang's tongue flicked out past her lips to move in tiny circles on a spot she knew drove Lightning to distraction, and she felt Lightning's breath hitch. 

After a week of being ordered around and a week of uncertainty, Fang had Lightning exactly where she wanted her - better yet, the mechanic's body was languid and receptive.

"I wondered how long you were going to hold out on me," Lightning murmured, her hand impulsively reaching up and winding through Fang's dark hair in a way that was far too distracting. Fang hummed to herself in amusement, letting herself get pulled in for a scorching kiss that had no right to make her feel as weak in the knees as it did. 

As Lightning pulled back, her eyelids fluttering shut, Fang buried her face against the side of her neck and inhaled. If Lightning was kissing her like that, then she'd been holding out for long _enough_ , and that told Fang everything she needed to know as she slipped one hand up and under Lightning's top. Lightning's skin was warm and hot under Fang's touch, and she stopped to toy with the piercing in Lightning's navel as she pressed her lips on that sensitive spot below Lightning's ear.

Fang savoured the way Lightning murmured appreciatively, loving the way Lightning's fingers threaded and tangled in her hair. Taking that as her permission to step up the pace, Fang nipped lightly at the outer shell of Lightning's ear as she grazed a slow but steady trail up Lightning's body with one hand, using her other to hold Lightning's hips securely against her. Even after having been together a number of times, the swell of Lightning's breast against Fang's palm made her breath stick in her throat.

Leaving a languid mark on Lightning's neck that Serah was sure to see and ask about, Fang eased her fingers under Lightning's bra. The skin was heated and felt even softer than Fang remembered from the last time, and for a while she simply stroked and rubbed the sensitive flesh under her fingers, listening to Lightning's breath grow short and harsh under the touch as Fang sucked tiny marks all over Lightning's neck, throat and shoulder. Lightning pressed up hard against her, her head tipping back to rest on Fang's shoulder as a tiny groan escaped her lips.

Fang tightened her hold around Lightning's waist, knowing that Lightning was close to turning around and evening the score a little. She wanted Lightning like _this_ , and as she pressed another kiss against Lightning's ear, she felt the woman slowly relax.

"That's right," Fang murmured, and her voice seemed strangely loud in the closed space of the Zoid cockpit. "Let me take charge for a bit, Lightning."

 _Let me show you how much I need you,_ Fang added silently as watched Lightning nod lazily, watched the woman bite down on her lower lip to stifle any sounds she would have made.

Fang laughed softly against the crook of Lightning's neck - she couldn't have _that_ , could she? Giving Lightning's nipple one last circle with the side of her thumb, Fang removed her hand from Lightning's tank top and began to work at the belt holding up the old jeans that Lightning was wearing. Fang felt Lightning shift against her, turning partially so that she could kiss Fang's mouth with a heat that put their last kiss to shame. Fang let out an unsteady moan as she felt Lightning's tongue graze her lips, deepening the kiss so that she could have more. Fang was fine with letting Lightning take control of the kiss, so long as Fang was still able to keep working at her buckle and buttons. Finally successful at her task and in no mood to waste time, Fang drew down the zipper and tried to ignore the way the ache between her own legs had spiked alarmingly.

Fang felt Lightning's entire body shudder, felt her breath catch delightfully as Fang slipped her right hand down the front of Lightning's underwear. Fang bit down lightly on Lightning's lower lip as she rubbed - not hard, but not lightly - against the slick heat between Lightning's legs. Lightning jerked at the sudden pleasure, her hand falling from where it had been buried in Fang's hair and both of them pressing up against either side of the narrow cockpit. Fang didn't let the kiss break as she slipped a finger down and inside for a few strokes, enjoying the way it made Lightning tremble in all of the best ways.

Lightning moaned hoarsely, breaking the kiss as she tipped her head back and swallowed hard.

"Are we really doing this _here_?" Lightning asked breathlessly. "What if Serah-"

"She can't see us," Fang reminded her gently, her lips capturing Lightning's earlobe and tasting it with her tongue even as her fingers continued to rub tiny circles around Lightning's clit. "You said it yourself - you can see out, but you can't see in."

"Right," Lightning agreed, her breath growing short. "Then that's... _good_."

Fang rather liked the way Lightning had nearly choked on that last word as she'd added another finger, and she stored that knowledge away for later. Using her thumb to rub Lightning's clit in a way that had the other woman clutching desperately at Fang's knees, still steady at either side of Lightning's own, and her other fingers to pick up a steady tempo, Fang listened to the tiny murmurs of pleasure devolve into full-on moans.

It only spurred her on, and Fang felt her own breath grow harsh as she felt Lightning's body begin to grow tense against her. Lightning had to be close, Fang needed to feel that last surrender -

Lightning came with an unsteady whimper, her hips jerking, and she mouthed something desperate and silent. Fang continued to rub the sensitive area as Lightning rode out the last of her climax, her touch much lighter as she felt Lightning sag against her. As Lightning's breath began to ease, Fang withdrew her hand from between Lightning's legs, wiping it off on her own pants before using her other to smooth back the hair from Lightning's eyes.

They were both silent for a long moment, and it gave Fang the reprieve she needed. She'd had a lot of time to think, over the past week - on her _thing_ with Lightning, on what they had and what Fang herself could lose if it ended tomorrow.

"I wasn't kidding," Fang said, her voice slightly hoarse with emotion as Lightning looked across at her. "When I said that without you, I'd be nothing. Because it's true. And I'm scared of losing you."

Lightning snorted softly, pressing an exhausted kiss against Fang's cheek as her fingers combed through Fang's hair.

"You were really worried?" Lightning asked, and Fang nodded. "I was angry, yes. But that was _because_ I felt so... Why do you think I was so concerned about the hospital visit?"

"Thought that maybe it was the last straw, is all." Fang laughed shortly, and was unsurprised when she was met by silence.

"Not yet." Lightning smiled then, and she leaned forward to press a kiss against Fang's lips this time. "So you're telling me that you want this to be more..."

"I'm asking you _out_ , Light." Feeling a little more confidant, Fang caught Lightning's hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You know. Occasional sex is good but... It's not enough for me. I just know that I want more of you, and want it for always. So if you'll accept me... I'm yours. And I'd like the same of you."

As far as confessions of affection went, it was certainly one of Fang's least graceful. It definitely ranked as her most honest though, and in the end, wasn't that what mattered the most? Lightning seemed to read the truth in her eyes, her pale cheeks flushing just a little as she slowly nodded.

"Consider that a bargain." Lightning kissed her again, before pulling back, her eyes narrowing suddenly as if she only just considered something. "I still want to get paid for these repairs. That is non-negotiable, Fang."

"I know, I know." Fang laughed, and wrapping her arms around Lightning's waist, she buried her face against the back of Lightning's neck. Tomorrow and in the weeks going forward, both Fang and Lightning would be busy with the preparations and lead up to the Royal Cup.

But that was tomorrow. For now, Fang let out a contented sigh and simply enjoyed the sensation of holding her girlfriend close.

**Author's Note:**

> Now that FRF is over, I'm not sure what I'll do next. More Defenders 'verse? Who knows. *thoughtful*
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> If you'd like updates as to current projects or just want to chat, feel free to come visit me on my tumblr: [zerrat](http://zerrat.tumblr.com/) (personal) and [zerratwritesstuff](http://zerratwritesstuff.tumblr.com) (writing)!


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